This system is directed to an energy conversion stabilized floating platform that has the capability to operate in the ocean, bays, inlets, or lakes for converting wave energy into electrical energy.
The oceans of the world are the greatest energy storage systems on the surface of the earth. Unfortunately, a large part of this energy is completely unused. This energy is exhibited as tidal energy, swell and wave energy, as well as thermal energy. Swell and wave energy of the oceans have been a nemesis to humanity since the starting of time. Swell and waves have destroyed construction projects at all locations of the oceans. These destructive effects have been most notable where humans have tried to build structures to stop the natural motion of the oceans.
A great number of systems have been tried in an attempt to extract the inherent energy of the ocean swells or waves. Most of these systems have tried to convert the vertical motion of the ocean swells or waves into a circular motion of a normal electrical generator. Use of a reciprocating generator that moves upward and downward with the ocean swell or wave will obviously increase the operational efficiency of the system. The problem that exists for such a system is creating a method for holding the reciprocating electric generators comparatively stationary while the floating aspect of the conversion system reciprocates upward and downward with the ocean swell or wave. This arrangement, of course, could be obtained by means of a massive ocean structure, such as an ocean oil drilling platform or other structures, permanently attached to the bottom of the oceans. However, such structures are often not in locations that promote the most useful transmission of the electrical energy. To build such a platform would be very expensive.
In Applicant""s prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,653 a submerged reciprocating electric generator is provided which is placed below the ocean surface and creates electric power from the surface ocean swells. The generator coil reciprocates linerally in response to an external force acting on a float by the passing ocean swells. A cable connects the float on the ocean surface with the reciprocating coil of the submerged generator. In Applicant""s prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,413 an electric generator produces electric power responsive to movement of a float riding in ocean swells. A float is positioned on an oscillating fluid, such as ocean swells, and utilizes a linear moving coil directly moved by a float riding on waves or swells. The moving coil converts the kinetic energy in the wave directly to electrical energy. In the Woodbridge prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,302, an apparatus and method for converting wave energy into electric energy uses floats to move a flexible coil in a magnetic field. In the Woodbridge U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,901, a wave operated electrical generator system uses a float to oscillate permanent or electrical magnets into an out of electric coils.
A floating ocean swell electric generator system includes a floating platform having a deck and an engine for propelling a floating platform. A plurality of ocean electric generators are mounted on the floating platform. Each floating generator has an elongated stator tube extending from the floating platform below the deck and into the water""s surface and a floating mechanism acting as a linear rotor in the stator tube for movement with ocean swells passing beneath the floating platform. Electric energy is generated by the movement of an electric coil attached to the floating mechanism and acting as a linear rotor in the stator tube responsive to ocean swells. The floating platform has a plurality of pontoons mounted thereto on a plurality of extension legs for supporting the floating, platform in the ocean. The pontoons are hollow and are fillable with air or ocean water to raise or lower the floating platform to adjust the level of ocean swell generators and emptied to raise the floating platform for movement of the platform between ocean locations. The floating platform may have a plurality of side extension arms extending therefrom with each having an ocean electric generator attached thereto having a stator tube extending therefrom along the side of the floating platform to thereby expand the number of ocean electric generators mounted to the floating platform. The floating platform deck is supported above the ocean surface by pontoons mounted on legs to allow ocean swells to move beneath the floating platform deck and over a portion of the stator tubes. A method of making of floating ocean swell electric generator system is also provided including the steps of selecting a floating platform having a deck and engine for propelling the floating platform. The floating platform can be an existing ocean vessel, such as a ship, barge or the like. A plurality of ocean electric generators is mounted to the selected floating platform with each generator having an elongated stator tube mounted to the floating platform to extend from the floating platform below the deck. Each stator tube has a floating linear rotor therein for movement with the ocean swells passing beneath the floating platform. The process may include the mounting of a plurality of pontoons to the floating platform on a plurality of extension legs for supporting the platform in the ocean with the platforms being fillable with ocean water to varying degrees to raise or lower the flooding platform to adjust the level of the ocean swell generators. The process includes mounting a plurality of side extension arms to the floating platform and mounting an ocean swell electric generator to each side extension arm having a stator tube extending therefrom along the side of the floating platform to thereby expand the number of ocean swell electric generators mounted to the floating platform.